A Mossley writer has delved into the historic murders at a Saddleworth pub for her debut novel.

Sophie Parkes was intrigued by the notorious 1832 murders at The Moorcock Inn in Greenfield, known locally as Bills O’Jack’s.

Out on January 26 in both paperback and ebook, Out of Human Sight opens with the murders of father and son, William, 84, and Thomas Bradbury, 46, at the isolated inn on Holmfirth Road, which captivated people so much at the time that visitors from across the country arrived in Saddleworth to see the blood-spattered pub for themselves.

Out of Human Sight goes on to explore what happens to the victims’ family, namely granddaughter and niece, Millie, and how she copes with increasing fame.

Sophie was inspired by the story when she moved to the area in 2015 and was introduced to the Bills O’Jack’s legend.

“I’m not so much fascinated by who committed the murder, though the fact that it remains unsolved is certainly intriguing,” Sophie, 37, said.

“I am more interested in how a young woman could be thrown into the spotlight and deal with such tragic circumstances in a small, isolated place, as Greenfield and Saddleworth would’ve been at the time,” she added.

Sophie researched the known facts of the case, including the permanent exhibit at Saddleworth Museum in Uppermill, but the story of Out of Human Sight is her own invention.

“This is very definitely a work of fiction, and I’ve created characters, landmarks and motives to develop what I hope is an enjoyable read driven by realistic characters of their time,” she said.

“The real-world case provided what I see as a springboard for a whole new story that hopefully will still feel familiar for local readers.”

Though this is Sophie’s debut novel, she has previously published a biography of musician Eliza Carthy and ghostwritten the autobiography of blind endurance athlete, Dave Heeley. 

Following degrees from the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University, Sophie is currently studying for a PhD in creative writing and folklore at Sheffield Hallam University. 

She won a Northern Writers’ Award in 2017 and also lectures in creative writing and has offered creative writing workshops through Tameside Libraries.

Sophie added: “I’ve written both fiction and non-fiction ever since I was tiny, making ‘books’ with childhood friends before moving on to writing about music and interviewing my favourite musicians for magazines from the age of 15. 

“I’ve been publishing short stories from around then, too. I still write about folk music for Songlines and Rock ‘n’ Reel. 

“I founded Mossley Writers in 2016 and we meet monthly at The Vale in Mossley for critique and discussion (which sounds grand but it’s very informal and friendly!).

“I’m writing a novel for my PhD, but it’s very different to Out of Human Sight: it’s contemporary, for a start, and it’s told through four narrative voices. 

“It’s not yet finished, but I hope it will be by the end of this year.

“I also know what I want to work on next, and it will be a return to the historical, but not-so-distant history.

“I’m originally from Banbury in Oxfordshire but came up to Manchester for my English degree at the University of Manchester in 2003 - I’ve been here ever since, moving to Mossley in 2015.”

Out of Human Sight is published by Northodox Press.